If you had to list the essential ingredients in turning a popular kids’ book into an equally excellent movie, what would they be?

1. A dynamic actress to play the lead. And…

2. The original author to write the screenplay.

That’s just what happened when Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody book series, and 13-year-old actress Jordana Beatty came together in creating the movie Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer opening in theaters June 10, 2011.

In the film, McDonald takes her familiar third-grader, Judy Moody, and her little brother, Stink, out of elementary school and into summer vacation. Judy and Stink are determined to have an awesome summer break, but it seems that it may not work out that way. We met up with McDonald and Beatty in Denver recently to chat more about the movie.

“I decided it would be so cool to do a summer adventure for Judy,” says McDonald. “She wants to have the best summer ever but a lot of stuff goes wrong. Like the poop picnic and blue throw-up in the face.”

(A poop picnic? Let’s just say that it involves a cat, a distracted Aunt Opal, and smashed turkey sandwiches. And, yes. It’s perfectly gross. Then add blue cotton candy to a rollercoaster and what do you get? Blue puke, of course. )

“I definitely think the roller coaster scene was the most challenging,” says the movie’s star, Jordana Beatty. “I’d never been on a roller coaster before and I had to say my lines and go up knowing that Frank was going to puke on me.”

As you can imagine, the rollercoaster-puke incident and the poop picnic do not give Judy any thrill points – which is her requirement to have a totally not-bummer summer – they are still at zero.

So, Judy and her friend Frank decide to see a midnight zombie movie to try again for thrill points. Only problem? Frank runs out scared part way through the movie. Thrill points tally: still zero.

And, if that’s not disaster enough for Judy’s summer, her friend Amy is getting lots of thrills visiting a lost tribe in Borneo with her mom. Judy’s other friend, Rocky, is at circus camp where pretty much everything counts as thrilling. Totally unfair.

Things keep going wrong with Judy’s dare attempts, so the messy-haired redhead decides to join Stink in his quest to find Big Foot. Maybe finding Big Foot will give her the most thrill points ever. Judy imagines the fame and glory that would come from finding Big Foot in kid-friendly cartoon daydreams.

Despite the PG rating, the film is mostly G-rated fun. There is only one bad word in the whole movie when Aunt Opal accidentally says, “Crap!” But, the Stink immediately scolds her, “You said a Swear!” (Bad, Aunt Opal.)

Author, McDonald, loves seeing Beatty embody Judy.

“I got to make the movie and the story that I wanted. And, Jordana is the perfect Judy Moody,” says McDonald. “I thought she was so spectacular.”

When we met with Beatty, who plays Judy in the film, she sported stylish shorts and a white blazer, looking very pulled-together; a stark contrast to Judy’s unusual way of dressing.

“She has an . . . interesting style,” Beatty says. “Her socks, shoes, nothing ever matches. She is definitely a leader, not a follower. I, personally, like to match.”

You don’t have to have read the books to be a fan of the movie. But, if you are already a fan of the books, you won’t be disappointed by this summer movie. 

McDonald has written 10 Judy Moody books, four Stink books, and several more starring both characters. What’s up next for Judy Moody? McDonald is finishing the next book called Judy Moody and the Bad Luck Charm.

Melissa Taylor writes about education-related topics at her award-winning playful learning blog, Imagination Soup, and for publications such as Scholastic Parent and Child, Babble.com, and others. She's the Book Editor-at-Large for Colorado Parent Magazine and a certified teacher with a M.A. in Education.